~ …give that you may live, for to withhold is to perish. (Adapted from Kahlil Gibran)

MyNotes: Digital Leadership 4: Leading with Technology

Note: Over the next few weeks, I’ll be reading Eric Scheninger‘s book, Digital Leadership. Eric was kind enough to send me a copy and I’ll be sharing my notes and thoughts as I work my way through it. I’m honored that Eric sent me a print copy to read and share my thoughts on. Comments in square brackets are mine, the rest is the author’s.

MyNotes – Chapter 4: Leading with Technology

“Leading in a culture of changes means creating a culture (not just a structure) of change…” it means producing the capacity to seek, critically access, and selectively incorporate new ideas and practices–all the time, inside the organization as well as outside it.”-Michael Fullan as cited

There is no room for isolation. Failure to comprehend the role and expectations of each team member, from the leader down to the lowest-ranking soldier, increases the risk of failure.

Britten’s motto is “Leading out loud” – use social networking and blogging to model both professional learning and transparent leadership for his administrative team. These tools become effective methods for communicating the concerns of the district regarding legislation and funding priorities, but also ensure that everyone throught the district has real-time updates of information needed to join the effort…it also models the skills students can use as they develop their own advocacy roles.

3 years ago, “being a technology leader meant making sure our computer labs were up to date and available for staff to use when needed. The notion of using social media was never a thought, since the perception was that it lacked any potential value for learning or education in general.”

For my school, connectedness was the original catalyst for change…enabling us to form numerous collaborative partnerships with an array of stakeholders who have assisted us along the way.

One of the drawbacks to educational technology is the perceived lack of value it has in terms of student learning and achievement…with current reform efforts…the value of technology in the eyes of many has diminished or is nonexistent.

The true value of technology rests on how it is used to support learning and create experiences that students find meaningful and relevant.

It wasn’t until I addressed my technology fears head on and then began to model technology’s effective use that many of our initiatives began to flourish.

Embracement, rather than “buy-in,” is attained through empowerment and autonomy…we empower teachers to shift their instructional practices and giving them the needed autonomy to take risks and work on effective integration techniques designed to instrinsically motivate them to change.

Some Guiding questions:

How can educators and schools effectively use free social media tools to communicate important information to stakeholders in real time?

How can leaders take control of their public relations and product a constant stream of positive news?

How can leaders connect with experts and peers across the globe to grow professionally through knowledge acquisition, resources sharing, and engaged discussion, and to receive feedback?

Small changes result in significant changes.

philosophical enlightenment as to the educational value of Web 2.0 technologies

effectively communicating with stakeholders

a consistent public relations platform and brand presence

authentically engaging students in learning process

cost-effective PD that is meaningful

rethinking how the learning environment was structured

education staff on value of web 2.0 technologies

realizing that students had to be instrumental in any effort to transform the culture of our school

becoming a more transparent administrator and sharing the innovative practices taking place within the walls of my school